Liftgate question.

[Mike99]

Hi ! I need some info about streight truck lift gate.I want to buy a st and lease at Fedex CC or TriState.Nice ST but no liftgate.Can please somebody tell me how often I will use it?How many loads do you think you can miss for this reason?Does it work investing extra 5k that the dealer ask for?
Thank you

 

[Suds43]

Talk with FedX and T-State, ask them how often a liftgate is used and the percentage of loads where one would be needed.
My guess is that T-State rarely has ST loads where a liftgate is used..........

 

[Jefferson3000]

Is this a new truck, or a few years old? If used, I wouldn't necessarily go for a new one with a dealer. Talk to the folks at Ryder used truck sales in your area. They have good pulls taken from trucks that they've leased and are now selling. Sometimes a box gets damaged and they pull the liftgate before trashing the box. You can probably get a great deal as I did. Most of what you'll pay is for the labor. Should only cost about $600 to install and maybe a couple hundred for the gate itself. You can haggle these things.

 

[davekc]

You might get a little use out of it at the Fed, but the numerous ones we have had through the years were used more for a back porch than any type of freight handling.
Didn't help dragging that heavy thing around fuel economy wise either.

 

[dhalltoyo]

The liftgate would be more likely used in a "White Glove" or "Elite" service as those that are offered by FedEx or Panther.

In my opinion it would see very little service at Tri-State; therefore, it would not be worth the additional cost, weight and maintenance.

 

[x06col]

Seems three of these lessees have given you the "school book" answer according to their experiences with either lazy drivers or, having someone else dispatching them.

One has given you an option to consider. If you choose.

There is in fact, lots of liftgate freight available IF you have the gonads to run it.

BTW the Tri State expert is dead mistaken

 

[JohnO]

Not sure how often one would use liftgate with carriers you listed. I know with Landstar Express America mine is used frequently with average additional revenue of $150.00 per run.

 

[wallytrucker1]

John O. I think they are referring to freight, not the lite weight stuff you leam guys might use it for around the ranch lol...I LOVE MY LIFTGATE MAKE BEAUCOUP BUCKS WITH IT

 

[ATeam]

A lift gate is a bargain at twice the price. (Photo taken in a national forest in California.)

 

[davekc]

Phil has the right idea. Add a grill and the porch lights and your are good to go in the evening.

 

[groinster]

I like having a lift-gate. We get a lot of work that we would otherwise not get, by having the lift-gate. But I like that back-porch idea as well

 

[TeamCaffee]

There are many different ways of looking at a lift gate. The actual pay you get for just using the lift gate is miniscule compared to the advantages of having the lift gate. We have never regretted having our lift gate and love the additional challenges the loads provide. We have felt that our lift gate paid for it self the first year we bought it in additional revenue. Who is to say though what loads we would have received if we had not had the lift gate? Our lift gate weights only 800 lbs but will lift 3500 pounds for some trucks just taking out a few unnecessary items will equal this amount.
We are an Express Truck and used the lift gate more then once a month last year with great accessorial pay.

 

[layoutshooter]

We would not be without a lift-gate. Right now we are White Glove but would have one even if we were not. It really keeps us working. Gets us both White Glove and Express loads. It is something else. The more things your truck can do the more you work. Will always have a pallet jack too. That is, as long as we can handle that kind of work.
Layoutshooter